Duke Basketball: Keys to Virginia Tech Showdown on Feb. 21

On Feb. 21 at 9:00 p.m. ET, the Duke Blue Devils will travel to play the Virginia Tech Hokies. This is a battle of polar opposites in the standings, but the star power is certainly present.

So what must Duke do to avoid a second consecutive upset?

Point guard Erick Green not only leads the Hokies, but he's first in the nation at 25.3 points per game. On the other end, Duke is led by National Player of the Year front-runner Mason Plumlee.

Star power.

As for the rest of the respective teams, Duke is 22-3 and 9-3 in ACC play. They're also coming off an 83-81 upset loss against the Maryland Terrapins.

Virginia Tech, meanwhile, is 11-14 overall and 2-10 in the ACC. They're coming off of an overtime loss at North Carolina State.

Fortunately for the Blue Devils, there is a formula to avoid yet another upset.

5. Force Robert Brown to Become a Playmaker

When you're tasked with defending an elite playmaker, the key is to force the ball out of their hands as often as possible.

For Duke, their most effective tactic will be to force Erick Green to defer to sophomore Robert Brown.

In 29.1 minutes of game action per contest, Brown is shooting 32.0 percent from the floor, 22.4 percent from distance and committing  2.4 turnovers per game.

That neutralizes his 2.4 assists per contest.

Duke will find their most success in trapping Brown and forcing him to make quick decisions.

By doing so, they can force turnovers, limit fast-break scoring opportunities and enable their interior players to create one-and-done possessions.

When a player has made just 13 of his past 54 shots, you want to force the ball in his direction.

4. Control the Defensive Glass

During Virginia Tech's near-upset of North Carolina State on February 16, the Hokies corralled 17 offensive rebounds.

For a team that is led by a supreme scorer in Erick Green, it is imperative that Duke limits the Hokies' second-chance scoring opportunities.

This is where Mason Plumlee comes into play, as he most recently grabbed just three rebounds in 33 minutes against Alex Len and the Maryland Terrapins.

Len grabbed three offensive rebounds in that game.

If Plumlee can perform at the level we expect of him, he can lead the Blue Devils to a convincing victory.

If Plumlee struggles on the glass again, however, second-chance scoring opportunities will make this one too close for comfort.

3. Establish the 3

During an 84-76 loss at North Carolina State on Jan. 12, Duke shot just 6-of-20 from beyond the arc.

When the Blue Devils lost 90-63 at the Miami Hurricanes, the Blue Devils converted just 4-of-23 from distance.

As Duke fell 83-81 at the Maryland Terrapins, they shot just 6-of-19 from three-point range.

In each of those three losses, one thing has been evident—when Duke struggles to shoot the three-ball on the road, they're in trouble.

Playing at Virginia Tech will be no different.

The Hokies have a star playmaker on offense in Erick Green. He will keep them in this game with his scoring and force Duke to hit big shots.

If they're unable to, the results speak to what could transpire.

2. Take Away the Paint

During Duke's 83-81 loss to Maryland on Feb. 16, the Terrapins scored 42 points in the paint.

If Duke allows Virginia Tech to enter the paint and dominate in a similar capacity on Feb. 21, the Hokies could pull off a major upset.

We know that they have the personnel to do it.

Erick Green is a phenomenal shooter, but he also gets to the basket virtually at will. If the Duke interior is unable to close off his lanes, they could learn how dominant this one-man show truly is.

As a result, the 11-14 Hokies would be in position to shock the world with a W.

With that being said, by cutting off the paint, the Hokies would be forced to rely heavily upon their jump-shooting.

For perspective, Virginia Tech is shooting 42.0 percent from the field and 32.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Force them outside.

1. Contain Erick Green

And it all leads to this.

Erick Green of the Virginia Tech Hokies is in the conversation for the label of "the most dynamic playmaker in the nation."

Just check the numbers.

Green is currently averaging 25.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

The senior point guard is doing so on a slash line of .473/.480/.812. It doesn't get much better than that.

If the Blue Devils are to emerge victorious, it is imperative that they contain Green. Don't believe me?

Green has scored at least 20 points in 23 of 25 games this season. No matter how Virginia Tech's win-loss record may look, that makes Green the X-Factor.

Contain him and you win. Let him loose and face the consequences.